Day twelve of MerMay prompt month.

This is a shorter chapter. Apologies.

Waves - Isabella

Even though Isabella had spent some time almost every day on the water for close to five years, somehow this past week of going there everyday; watching, searching, for whatever it was that she saw… it was exhausting. She knew why too. When something, anything, became a requirement, it was no longer fun. She had told that to a few of her high school teachers, but they never listened.

And, even though searching for feet in the water wasn't a requirement, it was a focus. And it was a focus that was draining.

She still had that rough draft of the hero twins to smooth out too! But, instead of doing that, there she was sitting on her dock. Honestly, if she weren't so terrified of dropping her computer into the sea, she would have been typing it out while sitting there.

Isabella sighed. She knew the likelihood of seeing the feet again was slim-to-none. She knew it. And she honestly missed the serenity she had found at the beach before she had seen them. With a sigh, she leaned back on her hands, her eyes closed, her face soaking in the sunshine. The water below her surged, caressing her feet like a needy cat and she smiled.

Forget the feet, she told herself. Just feel. Listen.

If you have ever seen the movie August Rush, you would understand. Isabella felt like the boy, listening as music formed around him in the city air. Only this time, the music came from the sea. Her heart set the rhythm, the wind harmonized, and the waves were the melody. It was beautiful, and Isabella loved it. Everytime she listened to the song of the sea, it was different. Amazing. Beautiful.

Opening her eyes, she watched as the waves danced in the sunlight. Birds diving down, like fairies kissing flowers. Dolphins breaking the surface to breathe, their exhales like pulses in her song. Boats docked on their not-abandoned posts, rising and falling with the water.

Forget the feet, she reminded herself again. At least for now.

Sitting there, watching, listening… She felt all of her tensions releasing through her, being washed away as the ocean again splashed against her toes. She smiled, almost playfully, and stretched one leg further to splash back.

She didn't understand the attachment she had formed with water. It wasn't actually living, though it acted so, but then again humans will 'pack bond' with anything. And apparently she had bonded with an element.

She loved how unpredictable it was. It was never the same no matter how often she visited. Sometimes there would be a cruise line or a containership standing out against the horizon, sometimes a whale would breach, or the dolphins would play. Sometimes there wouldn't be anything but the waves and birds. Sometimes she would see a large fish jump, or surfers wrangle the waves. Sometimes something lost would float by (and she usually tried to grab it if it came close enough), or a jetski would speed past, sending their wake in her direction.

Every day was different.

When Phineas got so caught up on his project of living on the moon or whatever, she began coming here to get that variety she was missing. When he started therapy, she still returned because he had become hesitant to try, afraid he would fall back down that hole. When she was most affected by her friends' tendency to forget her until the last minute, she would come to the water to feel welcomed, wanted.

The ocean became her confidant, her listening ear, her source of comfort. Suddenly thinking back to Ferb's welcome home party, Isabella began to laugh. She had, unknowingly, replaced Ferb with the entire Atlantic! As a child, when she was feeling down, Ferb would somehow know how to make it better, even without speaking.

The ocean didn't speak either. Maybe that's why she felt comforted there.

Shaking her head at herself, she packed her unopened sketchbook and pencil back into her bag and swung it over her head. Snatching her glasses from her face, she cleaned off the residue from the salty spray and she stood up. Blowing a kiss to the water, Isabella felt lighter than she had when she arrived. She turned and hopped the gap in the boards, readying for a busy day at the restaurant.

It had been a long day, and Isabella felt every minute of it. She ended up walking her bike back the last half-mile, regretting with every step that she hadn't taken her mom's offer for a ride home.

The day had started fantastic too! But after she left the beach, it was as if she had walked under thirteen ladders.

Isabella closed her eyes, trying to block out the memories. She turned up her driveway, wanting nothing more than to clean off all of the food she carried in her hair, then pass out in her bed. But before she could take one step up to the door, her name was called. Her head flopped forward in defeat and she turned to see Phineas and Ferb walking towards her, the redhead waving and smiling brightly.

Ferb gave her a once over and his face pinched as if he were trying not to laugh.

"Isabella! Hi! How was the restaurant today?" Phineas asked.

"Fine," was her simple response as she put more weight onto the handlebars of her bike.

Ferb huffed once before controlling himself. "You look tired." She glared at him.

Phineas looked at his brother, then turned to study her. His eyes widened. "Oh! I'm sorry Iz. I didn't mean to keep you from going inside. I just wanted to see if you wanted to come with us tomorrow, if you have some time."

Isabella had to take a moment to process all of those words. "Day off tomorrow," she said, her eyes blinking slowly. "Bad day today. Sleeeeep."

Now it was Phineas who looked like he was going to laugh, and Ferb looked concerned, but thankfully he didn't ask. "Tell us about it tomorrow. We won't be going anywhere until close to noon anyway," he told her even as he gripped her arms, removing her grip from her bike. Phineas grabbed the bike before it could fall and rolled it up the steps to it's spot while Ferb practically carried her up the stairs to the door.

Isabella didn't want to move her head from his shoulder, but she knew she had to. Eventually. "Thanks guys," she murmured. She tried to blindly reach into her bag for her keys, but Phineas was already there, pulling them out and unlocking the door for her.

Now there was no excuse. She pulled her head off of Ferb and stumbled through the door, dropping her bag just inside the door. Phineas put her keys on top of it and closed the door behind her as both boys said, "Goodnight."

She waved at them, but then realized they couldn't see it through the closed door. Staring blankly at it for a moment, she blinked hard and turned towards her room.

Shower. Sleep. Focus.

Undine

Undine or Ondine, no matter how it is spelled, are a type of elemental beings associated with water. At one point, Undine's became synonymous with water nymphs, which is how we know it today. Ondine now has also become a semi-popular female given name.

They are almost always depicted as female, which coincides with the ancient idea of water being a feminine element. Undines are commonly found in forest pools and waterfalls, usually singing loud enough to just be heard over the sound of running water. It is said that they do not have souls, but marriage to a human will earn them one even though it shortens their life.